Synthesis and Characterization of Bi2O3: Sb Nanostructured Thin Films Prepared by Chemical Spray Pyrolysis Method

Abstract

In the present work, thin films of undoped bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) and bismuth oxide doped with antimony ( Bi2O3: Sb) were deposited on glass substrates by using the chemical spray pyrolysis process. We prepared the films with various weight percentages of antimony                   (0, 3, 5, 7, and 9 wt%). Throughout the experiment, the substrate was maintained at a consistent temperature of 380°C for the deposition operation. The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of antimony doping on the structural and optical characteristics of the Bi2O3 film. We studied the structural and optical properties of the prepared thin films using x-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS). The X-ray diffraction results showed that the prepared films were polycrystalline with a tetragonal structure. Thin films of Sb doped Bi2O3 demonstrated increasing absorption with increasing the concentration of the dopant . The measured energy gap value for undoped Bi2O3 was 3.04 eV. Increasing the concentration of the antimony dopant led to a decrease in the energy gap value (from 3.04 to 2.48 eV). Undoped bismuth oxide and 9% Sb doped bismuth oxide were deposited on porous silicon, as it is used in solar cell manufacturing. The solar cell features were evaluated.